August 10

It’s always a great day when you find out that a new soul has been brought into this world, and will be marked for the Kingdom of Heaven. You might say “how do you know he will go to heaven?” It will be the only way he knows, because he will be brought up living, and breathing the Lord Jesus. Our family is so pleased to find out that we have another boy being knitted together in his mother’s womb. It was quite exciting to find out his gender; according to the scientific test, the Y chromosome is present, making our new baby a male. Isn’t it incredible how far this new generation has veered from the truth? If the Y chromosome is found, a boy is being formed, if all that is found is X then a girl is being formed. There is not even a question in science about gender. Science proves God’s intention. People may want to live in a fantasy world by pretending to be the opposite of what they are, but they are just lying to themselves. We will continue to believe the truth, and our new baby boy will be taught the truth rather than the lies created by the enemy. God created one man and one woman; there is no mention of anything in between. Know the truth and live by God’s word alone.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  Genesis 1:27

August 9

I have a former neighbor that loves bromeliads as much as I do, maybe more, because she has them all over her yard. As I passed her home one day, I noticed she had piled some of her bromeliads out by the road to share with passersby. I couldn’t help myself, I had to stop and take a portion. She has been blessed with an abundance, her cup was overflowing with a bountiful harvest; so much that she couldn’t help but to be generous, even to those she doesn’t know. What she shared was the best of what she had; they were beautiful and in full bloom! As disciples, this is our lot; we are to share the blessing of a clean slate that was afforded to us by Jesus. Let others know that they don’t have to live overwhelmed by their past sin, and that Jesus will wipe their slate clean too, they just have to believe in Him. Share your best blessing; your cup is overflowing, let it spill out onto others.

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Hebrews 13:16

August 8

There are days when I feel weak, and other days that I feel strong. Those days of weakness are the days that the Holy Spirit swoops in and takes over if I let Him. I’m having one of those weak days where I can’t find the words to encourage you. He reminded me that my mission is to train believers to break bonds and live free, so here is a quick lesson in how you can help me accomplish my mission. Recognize that some of the root causes of your imprisonment are fear, unbelief, trauma, and rejection. You can probably trace all of your mental/heart issues back to one, or all of these! The key to overcoming them is to be honest with yourself, trace it back to where it began, confess - ask for forgiveness, or give forgiveness (though you’ve already been forgiven, it helps to say it), repent - change your ways. Jesus has made us whole, but because of our chains, we continue to look for ways to heal. You’ve been healed, you just have to accept it.

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” John 5:6

August 7

How can you read the book of Acts and not believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit? When I was growing up, there was no mention of that type of baptism; but some grew up in a charismatic church where all the emphasis was on it, and pressure to perform was the norm. I understand that there are those who want the outward signs of the Holy Spirit baptism so badly that they mimic those who have received it in order to appear more spiritual in their congregation, but they are only lying to themselves, because the signs, or fruits of the Spirit are not evident within them. In the Old Testament, when the Holy Spirit came upon Saul, he prophesied, and in the New Testament, they spoke in tongues and prophesied, so there was, and still are outward signs of His existence within you. Whether you speak in tongues, prophesy, or have whatever gift you’ve been given, you will definitely exhibit the fruits of the Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. You should strictly examine yourself for these things, because a tree will be known by its fruit.

And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. Acts 19:4-6

August 6

Do you ever hear noises that you can’t figure out? I kept hearing a grinding noise that sounded like someone was using an electric sander, so I went outside to see if I could hear where it was coming from, and didn’t hear it anymore. Then it started again, so I went outside again, I heard nothing. I decided to look out the front window and noticed that someone was in my neighbor’s driveway, so I expect that what I was hearing was a vacuum cleaner, and that the car was the cleaning lady’s. It can be the same way when hearing God’s voice. We hear it either through the scriptures, dreams or visuals, through nature, sermons, or other ways; God is not limited in how He communicates, we are the ones limited in our hearing and understanding. Just like me confirming that my neighbor had a cleaning lady at her house, God will give you confirmation that it is His voice that you are hearing, so listen carefully.

And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, Acts 18:9

August 5

I’m just like any other girl, I don’t want to admit that I’m getting older. Because of that, I kept my hair dyed to my youthful color of brown. As I began to get too much gray, it became harder and harder to keep up with the coloring because of the extreme contrast that showed up within a week or so. I decided that blonde would be easier to maintain, but then I grew tired of it, it was just too much and didn’t look natural. For over a year I have left my hair untouched, and I am happier than ever about the beautiful color the Lord has given me. All those years of dying my hair was comparable to me fighting the Lord as He was trying to refine me, and now I’ve surrendered. He takes all of us through the refiner's fire to remove the dross and purify us from the harm that we’ve taken on from all the damage caused by our sin, and the pain from the hurt caused by others. He teaches us along the way, and we become wiser. Do you think that God made us this way on purpose? As the pigment grows out, and silver or light gold appears upon our heads, we age but also mature in the Lord. Maybe your gray hair is a gift, and a sign showing your maturity in Him.

Happy Birthday to the one I’m growing old with, my husband Richard. 

Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life. Proverbs 16:31

August 4

How do you put everything together in your mind? We read bits and pieces of God’s Word daily, but forget what we read four days ago, and it takes remembering and understanding all of it for us to know God fully. I want a full understanding, but fear that complete understanding could mean my demise, because we cannot fully understand everything about God until it is revealed, and revelation may mean death. He is an infinite God and until we are brought into infinity, and break free from this body and the limits of our mind, we can’t possibly know Him completely. It is the Holy Spirit that helps you, so today, pray for Him to open up your heart to reveal as much about God as you can bear and still live. Ask Him to free your mind of the things that cause you to be limited in your thinking of Him. If we break through what is limiting us, maybe more of His power will be unveiled.

The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. Psalms 119:130